


Paper

by BreeZ_Claire



Series: As Days Go By [5]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bromance, Comedy, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-17
Updated: 2013-01-17
Packaged: 2017-11-25 21:13:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/643008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreeZ_Claire/pseuds/BreeZ_Claire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Merlin gets a paper cut from Gwen's evil wedding envelopes, salt water is only a little less evil, and Arthur can only eat tic-tacs in odd numbers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paper

"Ow!"

"Merlin! Not again, that's your eighth one today!"

"I can't help it. It's not my fault you chose razor sharp envelopes for your wedding invitations!"

"Well if maybe you were more careful…" Gwen reached for the pile of band-aids in the middle of the table; she'd predicted this after the third time. She peeled back the papery film and wrapped the stretchy band-aid around Merlin's thumb while the boy continued to mutter something along the lines of 'deadly paper' and 'must have been made from the Whomping Willow.' After patching up another injury, the two continued stuffing the cream coloured envelopes with Lance and Gwen's wedding invitations.

Of course Lance should've been in Merlin's place, carefully sliding the multiple invitations and menus into each envelope. But with the winter months reaching its peak, Lance had been busier than ever at the hospital, answering countless pages by the hour. So when Lance had practically battering-rammed his door down that morning with dark circles under his eyes and a pleading smile, Merlin couldn't help but say yes to helping Gwen prepare the wedding invitations in his friend's place.

"How many more of these are there?" Merlin was pretty sure he stopped producing spit half an hour ago.

"A couple hundred." Her tone was so casual that when Merlin whipped his head around to stare at her, he ended up cutting his tongue in one swift motion.

"OWW!"

"Merlin!"

"My 'ongue! My 'ongue!" He stuck his tongue out in pain, blinking back the tears threatening to come out. Gwen had sprung out of her chair at this point and was currently flailing about in a panic; she had no tongue band-aids!

"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! Merlin, are you okay?" She leaned down to examine the protruding tongue. Luckily the cut wasn't deep enough to bleed much but it still looked extremely painful. The boy whined pitifully with his tongue still sticking out. "Do you want me to call Lance?"

Merlin shook his head and frowned, tongue still out. He quickly decided that all envelopes were as evil as staplers and photocopying machines. And those were pretty damn evil.

After calming Gwen down from her panic, Merlin went to the adjoining kitchen and filled a small bowl with water to use instead of spit to seal the envelopes. When he sat back down, Gwen looked slightly less miserable and even gave him a small smile.

"Are you going to keep you tongue out like that the entire time?" To this, the boy nodded. Gwen just giggled and slid another lavender invitation into its envelope. Merlin dipped his finger into the bowl of water and carefully glided it over the top flap. "Thanks again for doing this Merlin."

"No 'obem."

They continued their work in silence for a while and occasionally Merlin would try pulling his tongue back in its proper place in his month, but the harsh sting made him wince before sticking it back out again. When the sun began to fall and the room darkened, Gwen got up to flick on the light switch. Merlin didn't notice she'd stayed there by the wall until she spoke.

"Sometimes I don't know…" Merlin turned to stare at her for while, head cocked to the side. He knew that look all too well. When Gwen was deep in thought, her brow would furrow slightly and an angular frown replaced her usual smile. He didn't have to see her face to know she was biting her bottom lip, contemplating how to continue. "I love him with all my heart, Merlin, I really do. But sometimes I wonder…"

They had stopped and started this conversation so often that Merlin knew Gwen was talking about Lance's life as a doctor. The late nights, irregular hours, and piling office work strained both partners of a relationship.

"It's not like I want him to be around all the time! But…he spends so much time reading documents and making phone calls. Especially at this time of year, I just wish he was a little bit more available, we have a wedding coming up Merlin! And what about when we have children? Granted, it'll be very useful having a Paediatrician in the house for that…but what if—what about—oh Merlin what do I do?" At this point, Gwen had seated herself back down, next to Merlin at the corner of the table.

"Umm…"

"Do you think we're rushing into things?" Merlin rolled his eyes. The two had been practically married from the first time they laid eyes on each other. He couldn't imagine two people more perfect for each other than Lance and Gwen. "I haven't even decided on the on flower arrangements yet."

"Boo 'n' reh?"

Gwen tsked and gently punched her friend in the arm. "You are your blue and red." She sighed and took Merlin's hand in hers. "I just need to know that I won't end up regretting this. That when Lance and I get a house together I won't be left alone with the baby all day while he's going off tending to someone else's children. We haven't even lived together Merlin! Sure, your apartment is closer to his work which I understand completely. And he needs to be close just in case, but what if we move in together and I find all these habits about him that tick me off? What if – What if he likes clipping his toe nails at the dinner table?"

Merlin gave her a look.

"Right…he doesn't do that. But what if – "

"'Wen!" She paused and looked expectantly at her friend. They'd been together all through university and knew each other's quirks almost too well. Merlin stopped her before she snowballed into a full on ramble. "You 'ov him ahh?"

"I love him with all my heart."

"He 'ovs you woo." He gave her a looked that said _isn't that all that matters? Whatever you're worry about; it'll all work out because you two belong together._

"Oh Merlin, thank you." She leaned into give him a warm hug. After a moment, she giggled and said, "I can't believe I can still understand you." Merlin rolled his eyes again and Gwen sat back in her chair. "You look utterly ridiculous."

Merlin crossed his arms and made an angry sound, "I 'ate enalopes!"

"I don't think it's healthy for you to eat envelopes sweetie," she teased.

"'Ate! 'Ate! Not eat, 'ate!" and she would've taken him seriously if his tongue hadn't been flying about and his arms flailing just as crazily. Gwen bursted out laughing and only stopped when Merlin knocked over the bowl of water, causing it to spill over half the remaining invitations.

"MERLIN!"

"Oops…awrry!"

_**xXx** _

Merlin opened the door to his flat with a huff, his tongue still sticking out. After another few hours at Gwen's, he had gotten use to the feeling and hardly noticed it until he began walking home and strangers on the street were giving him strange looks. He had managed to bring it in slightly more than before so he didn't look completely stupid.

"Well don't you look completely stupid?" Arthur looked at him from his spot on the couch, closing the folder he was reading. Merlin glared back before slipping off his coat and hanging it on the coat rack. "What happened to you?"

"Paper wut."

Arthur raised a brow. "Paper cut." The boy nodded. "On you tongue."

The boy made a gesture to indicate something along the lines of ' _well duh_.'

Arthur exhaled sharply before getting up and heading to the kitchen, gesturing Merlin to follow along. The smaller boy sat down at the kitchen island and put his head in his hands, frowning when the blond man stirred a few spoonfuls of salt into a glass of water. He groaned in disgust. Arthur slid the cup in front of him and leaned on the table, watching.

"Here. Gargle with this and it'll help disinfect the cut. You should be back to looking like your usual idiotic self in no time."

"Mo."

"It worked last time."

"Mo."

"Well we can't bloody well put a band-aid over it now can we?" Arthur rolled his eyes and pushed the cup forward even more. "Gargle."

"Eh 'urrs!" Merlin frowned harder, hoping it would compensate for his protruding tongue.

" _Mer_ lin –"

"Merlin, you're home!" Gwaine jogged down the stairs with a grin. Merlin couldn't imagine anyone but Gwaine able to wear sweatpants and look good, but someone Gwaine just seemed to be the guy who pulled off everything. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he wore no shirt most of the time. Merlin could easily trace the outline of every one ab on his stomach with his eyes.

Gwaine paused at the foot of the stairs, giving Merlin a confused look. "Why is he sticking his tongue out at me?" He asked Arthur.

"I 'ave a payer wut."

Gwaine blinked. "…come again?"

"Merlin here, the idiot, managed to get a paper cut on his tongue." He gave a disapproving look to the boy in the chair. Gwaine just smiled and wrapped an arm around his friend.

"Need me to kiss it better for you lad?"

"Mo!" Merlin said at the same time Arthur barked a strong "No!"

Gwaine just shrugged, "Your loss. You know where to find me if you change your mind." He gave a small wink at Merlin and headed back upstairs after grabbing a cup of coffee. The remaining two sat in silence and Merlin closed his eyes briefly; it was getting late and he wanted his bed. When he opened his eyes again, he caught Arthur giving him a death glare – he must have practiced those for the court room.

"Wha?" he snapped.

"Gargle!" he jabbed a finger at the glass.

"Mo!"

"Either you gargle with it or I'll drown you in it Merlin."

"'Ow will 'at 'helph ee?"

"It won't help you, but it'll sure give me some peace of mind." He smiled evilly.

"You 'on't 'ave an appipan any ore."

Arthur looked up thoughtfully for a while before smiling slightly. "You're right Merlin; it'll take too much time to break in a new assistant now won't it?" He turned away and sat down in his spot on the couch and Merlin sighed in relief when he thought Arthur had dropped the subject. Arthur flipped a page before speaking again and Merlin could practically hear the smirk that came with it.

"Of course, if you come into work Monday morning looking like that, I may be forced to tell everyone what happened. Wonder what _Freya_ might think of you when she hears you cut your tongue on a little piece of paper and cried like a little girl?"

"I 'in't rye!"

"Oh yes Merlin, you cried like a little baby all night long."

"Arur!"

"Gargle!"

Without another word, Merlin swiped the glass off the counter and filled his mouth with the salty liquid. After the initial taste, he was overwhelmed by the stinging pain when the water seeped into his wound. It burnt like fire and he struggled to blink back the tears. He swished the water around his mouth until he couldn't stand it anymore, and spat it out in the sink. He gargled with tap water until he could no longer taste the salt at the back on his throat. Arthur came over and patted him on the back, looking both condescending and triumphant at the same time.

"Good boy."

Merlin glared.

_Ass._

_**xXx** _

When Monday morning rolled around, Merlin was back to his un-protruding self. Despite the evil of salt water, it worked wonders and by the next morning, Merlin could properly pronounce his words with minimal wincing. He was just finishing up some phone calls before lunch when Freya walked by. He hadn't seen her since the New Years party.

"Good morning Merlin."

"Morning Freya! What's up?"

"Nothing really, what about you? I heard you had some interviews last week for some newspaper companies." She gave him a warm smile and Merlin couldn't help but smile back.

"Yeah, I think they all went pretty well. I'm still trying to get use to the whole idea of writing articles instead of novels. Gwaine got me in touch with some publishers as well that seem interested in some of the books I've been working on."

"That's wonderful Merlin! It's what you've always wanted right, to become a famous novelist or journalist?"

"Yeah, definitely! And having a chance at journalism wouldn't hurt either, it's just…" he trailed off and shifted his glace to Arthur's office window. He wondered how Arthur would react if he left to work somewhere else. They both agreed this arrangement would be a temporary job from the start. Arthur had little time to interview new assistants he desperately needed, and Merlin desperately needed the money especially if he were to eventually get some books published.

He knew that working somewhere else wouldn't pay as well but wouldn't it be worth it? He'd wanted to go into writing ever since getting out of university, but while Gwen had been swept up by countless offers – and had the poise and confident air to pull off a professional interview – Merlin had been busy trying to make ends meet, pay back his student loans, and trying to find somewhere to live now that he could no longer live on campus.

"Merlin?" Freya looked worried. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine Freya, really! Don't worry about me." He smiled the best he could.

"Well…okay…"

"Did you want to grab lunch in a bit?" And just like that, Freya was smiling again.

"Oh yes, of course!"

"I just need to make a few more calls before I'm free. See you then?"

"I'll see you then." She nodded and happily made her way to the elevator. Merlin watched her, barely noticing Arthur's presence beside him until a ball of paper dropped on his head.

"Hey!"

"I need you to reschedule my lunch appointment for Thursday." Arthur briefly looked up from the folder he was reading. "Leon had an emergency so he can't make the meeting today." Leon was one of Arthur's close friend as well as his current associate.

"Sure." Merlin frowned and picked up the paper ball, setting it on his desk so he could throw it in the recycling later instead of the garbage.

Arthur whacked him over the head with his folder. "Ow! Arthur, what the hell?"

"What's wrong with you? I thought you'd be head over heels getting lunch with Freya. You do realize you have me to thank for that don't you?"

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about." He said lamely as he rubbed his head.

"Without that salt water you'd still be mumbling nonsense every time you opened your mouth."

"You seemed to understand me just fine."

"That's because I've adjusted to your idiotic nonsense already."

Merlin just hummed and pressed a phone to his ear. Arthur stood by silently waiting for him to finish the call, occasionally picking up the paper ball and bouncing it off Merlin's head for amusement.

"What do you _want_ Arthur?"

"What's with the long face?"

"I'm just…thinking."

"About?"

"Stuff." He got up and tugged on his jacket.

"Are you thinking about taking that job at _The Post_?"

Oh.

Merlin paused, not quite sure what to do. Ever since Gwaine had talked to him about the interviews, Merlin hadn't had the heart to talk about it with Arthur or even mentioning it near the man. He wondered if it was against some company policy to go on interviews while still employed. "I…umm. I'm not sure."

Arthur was silent, turning the paper in his hand slowly. It seemed like hours before he looked up with a smile. It was small, but Merlin could see the strain behind the frown threatening to come out. He took a breath before tucking in his chair, pushing down his guilt.

"Of course, I wouldn't leave you unless I was sure you'd be taken care of. God knows how picky you are about your morning coffee, your filing cabinet, your crosswords and strange attention to the unbelievably tiny bits of detail –"

"That attention to detail saved this company from being robbed last year! Remind me to have a serious discussion with those accountants tomorrow by the way." Merlin scribbled the notice on a notepad before plowing on.

"You won't eat Tic-Tac's unless they're in odd numbers, you won't leave the window open unless there are two in a room, and you freak out whenever someone uses the little eraser at the end of the pencil!"

" _Mer_ lin."

"Yes?"

"Shut up." With that, Arthur tossed the paper ball at Merlin's forehead. But before he could grab it again on the ricochet, Merlin swiped it away.

"Are you done?" Arthur raised a brow and crossed his arms. "My point is…I'm not going to leave until I'm sure there's someone capable of taking care of your stupid compulsive needs. You'd probably end up imploding on yourself if you didn't have Melba toast at four in the afternoon--"

"With tea." Arthur corrected.

"--with tea. I have another meeting tomorrow with a publisher. If I go into the author business I might not even have to quit so you should be grateful!" Merlin smiled and tossed the paper ball high in the air. By the time Arthur fumbled backwards to grab it again, his assistant was already half-way to the elevator. The lawyer turned the ball around in his hand with warm eyes and a smile.

"No one could take your place, Merlin. No one."


End file.
